It’s a staggering ballet fact that between rehearsals and 19 performances, this Season’s Nutcracker requires over 900 pairs of pointe shoes to stage. On top of that, 122 pairs are needed for children, with some children requiring more than one pair to perform several roles Character artists, actresses, actors and Royal Ballet School students scuff up a further 120 pairs.

Whether it is meticulously-prepared pointe shoes for the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Snowflakes, or the party shoes worn by the children in the opening scene, these details are all part of delivering the production perfectly each time.

Though many of these shoes will be worn for other production rehearsals or recycled for use by ballet students, the reality is that a pair of pointe shoes costs £36, and over the course of the Season, across all our productions, the cost of meeting footwear needs of The Royal Ballet costs over £250,000. We're very grateful for the support of our audiences year round and wondered if you would consider giving The Royal Ballet a small Christmas gift.

Just £5 pays for the thick supportive elastic that the ballerinas require to secure their pointe shoes, or £18 buys us a single pointe shoe.

Whatever the size of gift, it would make a very practical difference to us as we prepare and perform this magical Christmas production. Make a donation.